Therapist Burnout: Signs And Coping Strategies
Burnout can be a debilitating experience for individuals in any profession or situation, and those who work in the mental health sector are no exception.
While the reasons for burnout can vary from person to person, one potential cause is the significant increase in demand for mental health services in recent years, resulting in overloaded providers.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the caseload for therapists has increased exponentially, with the APA estimating a 30% increase in 2020, a 41% increase in 2021, and a 46% increase in 2022. As providers continue to feel the pressure of this expanded demand, recognizing and addressing therapist burnout is quickly becoming a critical issue in the mental health field.
It can sometimes be difficult for those who have devoted their careers to helping others with mental health challenges to admit they are experiencing some of their own. But if left unchecked, therapist burnout can make treating clients difficult or impossible, and it can cause a host of mental and physical health challenges that can reduce the individual's overall well-being and quality of life as well. To address this condition, it can help to understand what exactly therapist burnout is and what may lead to its development.
What is therapist burnout?
Therapist burnout is a condition that can affect mental health professionals who have experienced significant work-related stress. While not considered a diagnosable mental illness according to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), burnout has been recognized by the World Health Organization as an “important occupational phenomenon” that can be defined as “syndrome resulting from chronic work stress.” It usually manifests as feeling emotionally overwhelmed, exhausted, and drained by your work.
Common signs of therapist burnout
Burnout can manifest in different ways for different individuals depending on a number of factors, such as what field the professional works in, how long they’ve been feeling emotionally exhausted or experiencing other symptoms, and how many years they’ve been working as a mental health care provider. That said, in many cases, the signs and symptoms of therapist burnout can be split into three main categories: mental, physical, and behavioral. Common mental symptoms of therapist burnout can include:
- Memory challenges
- Irritability
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Anhedonia
- Depersonalization
- Emotional exhaustion
Common physical symptoms of therapist burnout can include:
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Chest and/or muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
Common behavioral symptoms of therapist burnout can include:
- Difficulty providing care
- Avoiding work
- Self-isolation
- Emotional outbursts
- Substance use
The SAMHSA National Helpline for support with substance misuse is available 24/7 and can be reached by calling (800) 662-4357.
If you’ve noticed that you’ve been experiencing some of these symptoms, it may indicate that you are developing burnout or may be at risk of developing it in the future. In order to reduce this risk or manage your current symptoms, it can be beneficial to engage in healthy coping strategies, a few of which we’ll explore below.
Potential causes of therapist burnout
While stress is often a primary factor, therapist burnout can have a variety of contributing causes, including the following.
Compassion fatigue
Healthcare practitioners of any specialty—particularly those providing direct care to patients or clients—can face compassion fatigue. Those experiencing it may be overwhelmed by the responsibilities associated with caring for others, resulting in “a decline in the ability to feel sympathy and empathy” and a feeling of detachment from patients or clients—potentially leading to more intense burnout symptoms.
Poor work-life balance
With increased demand and rising caseloads, therapists may take on more clients than they can reasonably attend to. This can cause them to spend too much time at work or thinking about work, and their job may come to demand more emotional energy than they have to give. As a result, they may neglect their personal lives and not get enough rest, which could lead to feelings of isolation and exhaustion—and both of these could affect personal well-being as well as professional competency.
Mental health conditions
Therapists who experience a mental health condition(s) themselves may be more prone to burnout, particularly if they don’t adequately address the symptoms. Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety in particular—which can cause symptoms like mood swings, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty sleeping—may exacerbate burnout or prolong recovery.
Vicarious trauma
Vicarious trauma may occur when therapists care for clients who have been through traumatic experiences and share about them in therapy. Such experiences may include war, violence, sexual trauma, or other situations relating to acute or chronic stress. In addition to potentially contributing to burnout, vicarious trauma may also result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or PTSD-like symptoms including nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and hypervigilance.
Imposter syndrome
Research suggests that imposter syndrome, or the personal belief that one has fraudulently and undeservedly gained their own life or work success, may be associated with burnout. Therapists experiencing imposter syndrome often question their abilities, which can drain their motivation, increase exhaustion, and make them more cynical about their duties as mental health providers.
Three coping strategies for therapist burnout
Managing symptoms of therapist burnout typically involves providing compassionate, gentle care for oneself in various ways, including the following.
1. Practice self-care
Establishing a self-care routine may sound difficult for those who have a busy schedule or are already experiencing symptoms of burnout, like exhaustion. However, it’s generally considered to be a pillar of burnout recovery and prevention. Some examples of gentle self-care methods can include:
- Spending time in nature. Research suggests that natural environments may help reduce physical and psychological stress levels. Plus, spending time walking, hiking, or sitting on a park bench could also provide you with some valuable alone time to reflect and recharge.
- Leaning into your hobbies. Caring for yourself can also look like spending time doing activities you enjoy and that give you energy. Those that provide a sense of satisfaction and opportunities to engage with friends and community might be especially helpful choices.
- Journaling. “Positive affect journaling” in particular has been suggested to help decrease mental distress and increase well-being. Writing about how you feel may also help you sort through your emotions, process stressful events, and feel a sense of catharsis by getting your feelings down on paper.
- Meditating. Research suggests that mindfulness and meditation may help people cope with stress. Simply checking in with your body and breath throughout the day or following online meditation tracks or videos are two ways in which you might get started.
2. Rest
Burnout usually occurs as a result of prolonged job-related stress, so continuing the pace and type of work that caused this challenge is unlikely to help you recover. If you can, taking some time off may be best so you can rest, recharge, and focus on yourself instead of others for a while. Even if you’re not able to take much time off, building space for rest into your schedule outside of work will likely be essential.
Pulling back on other commitments and focusing on what you need to feel nourished may help restore your energy levels; engaging in activities you find relaxing that aren’t work-related or “productive” is usually a good start. Getting enough sleep is typically important for recovery as well, with some research suggesting that insufficient rest can actually increase the likelihood of experiencing burnout. Finally, taking a break from social media and news could help you create some mental space and give your mind some time to reset.
3. Seek support
Leaning on others for support is often a crucial element of recovering from burnout as well, with some studies even indicating that a lack of social support may be a contributing factor to experiencing it. Turning to coworkers and colleagues who can empathize with what you’re feeling might be helpful in validating your feelings, and leaning on friends and family who don’t share your profession could be beneficial in reminding you that there’s a world beyond your work.
Another valuable source of support for many people—even therapists themselves—is a licensed therapist. They’re the individuals who are arguably best equipped to understand how you feel, and they can support you in identifying patterns that may be contributing to symptoms and help you develop coping techniques that work for you. Even simply being listened to when you normally listen to others as your profession can be powerful and healing.
If you’re interested in meeting with a therapist yourself, the next step is typically to decide which format you might like best. While some people prefer meeting with a provider face to face, others find it more convenient or comfortable to attend sessions virtually. If the latter appeals to you, you might consider exploring an online therapy platform like BetterHelp. You can use it to get matched with a licensed therapist who you can then meet with via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Research supports the effectiveness of online therapy in general and for burnout in particular, too. For example, one study that aimed to address the effectiveness of web-based cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals experiencing burnout suggests that it can help reduce the risk of developing burnout and reduce symptoms in those already experiencing it.
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